Sometimes you gotta say no

Last week I spoke about how we can get overwhelmed by overwhelm and how there are so many things that are vying for our time. By picking three main goals to work towards for the year you’ll start to get an umbrella to guide your year.  BUT STILL we are faced with opportunities, offers and even clients and projects that can pull us away from those three things. 

Time is precious!  It’s something we can’t get back and can’t make up.  But we can be wiser in our choices on where we spend it and whom we give it to. By having our focus items, goals and priorities set it will make it easier to say no. 

NO! No? Yes, saying this word can be so hard.  WHY?

1.     Obligation: We feel obligated to say yes.  You’re supposed to bake for the fundraiser. You’ve been asked to help a friend move. Your mother needs help with her computer and someone who looks up to you wants to get some mentoring. Are you too busy for these people? What do you say?

2.     Great opportunity: You have been offered something that is outside of your focus items for the year, but it’s a fabulous opportunity, idea or partnership. If you give it up will you have missed out? How do you respond?

3.     It’s an honor: You’re being asked to participate in an event or a position where it’s an honor to be asked. Maybe you’ve always looked up to those board members, envied the president of the networking group, or wanted to make a difference by being on the committee for XYZ. And now’s your chance. You’ve been asked or invited – Do you accept the invitation?

And the worst of all…

4.     It satisfies an immediate need: You are in need of something right now and saying yes would make life so much easier. You can take a job and put the business aside for a bit so you have benefits.  You can agree to a client or project that you really don’t want to just so you have work. You can say yes to a lower rate of pay for the service you provide so you earn some money.  What need would make you say yes?

These are so hard because sometimes it is beneficial to say yes.  How do you know when? 
Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to know if you should say yes or no:

1. Do I want to do this?
   
2. Am I excited about this?
   
3. What are the joys of this? (Benefits)
   
4. What will this cost me? (Disadvantages)
   
5. Does this keep me on or take me away from my path/my desired goals?
   
6. If I say yes to this, what do I need to say no to?

Mwah!
Diane

P.S: Is there something in your life that you are not sure whether it deserves a yes or a no? Or do you have regrets about something you already said yes or no to?  Let me know. 

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